The Five Day Short Story The Five Day Short Story The Five Day Short Story

The Five Day Short Story

Five days, one story – master the art of the short story in one intense week.

Level

i
Improving

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Location

i
London

Length

i
1-5 days
  • Start Date
  • Time
  • Monday–Friday, 10.00–16.00

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£550

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Write your own work of short fiction

This creative and inspiring examination of the art of the short story examines the form from a writer’s perspective.

It is also a hands-on experience, turning theory into practical effect as each participant is nurtured and guided towards the completion of a story from beginning to end. Come away with new insights into the genre – and inclusion in our post-course anthology as a tangible record of your immersion.

Is this the right course for me?

If you're looking for an immersive, intensive introduction to the craft of short-story writing, this one's perfect for you. You'll spend five days at Faber's London offices with a group of fellow short-story writers, writing a new story from start to finish under the guidance of one of our most experienced tutors, Shelley Weiner.

This course runs over five consecutive days. Each day will consist of a three-and-a-half-hour morning session that includes formal teaching and group discussion, plus optional writing time in the afternoons.

During each morning session, we will look at a masterpiece of short fiction which you will have had the opportunity to read in advance. The works will be examined in terms of their historical and literary context – and, as importantly, will be used to illustrate essential elements of fiction, such as characterisation, setting, and narrative structure. The aim of this course is to incorporate theory with practice.

Workshops will enable you to share their own emerging story with your tutor and the rest of the group. By the final day, you will have produced a short story for inclusion in a group anthology – tangible evidence of the accumulated skills and a memento of a creative and productive week.

Writing space will be available to all participants each afternoon until 16.00, if you want to stay on and write.

    This course takes place at Faber's offices in Bloomsbury, from Monday–Friday, with teaching time 10.00–13.30 and optional writing time from 14.00 until 16.00.

Course Programme

Session 1

Monday 29 August, 10.00–16.00

Beginnings...

Session 2

30 August, 10.00–16.00

The Classic Form...

Session 3

31 August, 10.00–16.00

Modernism and Postmodernism...

See remaining sessions

Course Programme

The Five Day Short Story

Session 1

Monday 29 August, 10.00–16.00

Beginnings

10.00 – 11.00. General introductions, overview of the course, and examination of the form: how it emerged and endured, how it can compact whole worlds into a small space. Technical aspects and structural possibilities.

11.00 – 11.50. Beginnings. Playing with the Book of Ruth, as one of the earliest ever short stories: a look at characters, conflict and time-scale.

11.50 – 12.10: Break

12.10 – 13.30. Openings – where, how, and with whom can a short story begin? Exercise that explores a possible opening to a variation on the Book of Ruth. Ideas and feedback on individual short story projects.

14.00 – 16.00. Writing time

Session 2

30 August, 10.00–16.00

The Classic Form

10.00 – 11.50: The classic form. Examining Chekhov, as one of the nineteenth-century masters, with a particular look at ‘The Lady with the Lapdog’ in terms of voice and style: who tells the story and how? A short practical exercise relating technique to the text.

11.50 – 12.10: Break

12.10 – 13.30: Short story workshop, in which participants read and receive feedback on their emerging story.

14.00 – 16.00. Writing time

Session 3

31 August, 10.00–16.00

Modernism and Postmodernism

10.00 – 11.50: Modernism and Postmodernism – how did the short story develop into the twentieth century? (Looking at Hemingway’s ‘The Killers’ and ‘Death and the Compass’, by Jorge Luis Borges). Focus on character and dialogue, with a short practical exercise relating technique to one of the texts.

11.50 – 12.10: Break

12.10 – 13.30: Short story workshop, in which participants read and receive feedback on their emerging story.

14.00 – 16.00. Writing time

Session 4

1 September, 10.00–16.00

From the Late Twentieth Century into the Present

10.00 – 11.50. From the late Twentieth Century into the present. Looking at Alice Munro’s ‘The Beggar Maid’, with particular focus on narrative structure and time. A short practical exercise relating to the text.

11.50 – 12.10: Break

12.10 – 13.30: Short story workshop, in which participants read and receive feedback on their emerging story.

14.00 – 16.00. Writing time

Session 5

2 September, 10.00–16.00

Experimentation and Recap

10.00. Deadline for handing in short stories, for inclusion in course anthology.

10.00 – 11.50. Experimentation – how far can the boundaries of the short story be pushed? Some examples with short exercises.

11.50 – 12.10: Break

12.10 – 1.30: Revisiting the works/themes studies studied during the preceding days, looking again at key points and seeing how they can be practically applied. Distribution of course anthology.

14.00 – 16.00. Writing time.

Tutor

shelley-weiner-tutor

Shelley Weiner

Shelley Weiner is an acclaimed novelist, short-story writer and journalist who has, over the years, established a reputation...

More About This Tutor
Shelley Weiner

Location

Bloomsbury House

74 - 77 Great Russell Street

London WC1B 3DA

Covid

While we hope this course will take place in our London offices as normal, we’re always monitoring the situation with COVID-19, both nationally and locally, very carefully. We have extensive Covid safety measures in place in Bloomsbury House and are continuously re-evaluating these according to and beyond current Government guidelines.

Should any change in situation regarding the virus require us to move a portion of your classes online, we now have both the expertise and the technology to do so without disrupting your experience with us. If we do need to pursue this option, using video-conferencing software and our bespoke virtual classroom, we will also offer a discount for the affected sessions.

Find out more about our Covid safety measures and refund policy here.

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